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Yahoo: Fox Sports prepares channel to take on ESPN

For decades, ESPN has absolutely owned the TV sports market, becoming a presence so ubiquitous and so intertwined with TV sports that it's wrestled mainstays like "Monday Night Football" off broadcast channels. It's the World Wide Leader (in its estimation) or the Evil Empire (in the eyes of its competition and former employees), and on television, it's never really had a serious rival. (On the web? Ahem.)

Now, Fox is looking to change that broadcast dynamic, announcing the debut of Fox Sports 1. The new channel, set to debut in August, will feature a slate of Fox programming that includes baseball, NASCAR, college basketball and football, soccer, and select UFC fights. The channel will also feature studio shows, including one hosted by Regis Philbin.

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Re: Yahoo: Fox Sports prepares channel to take on ESPN

As long as they focus on sports, and not try to sensationalize everything, I will watch. ESPN is becoming WWE. Hiring Jonathan Coachman and Todd Francis proves me correct. ESPN is more interested in the story angles than the actual games

Being unable to close out a game in which you have a comfortable lead in the 4th Q = Pulling a Frank Vogel

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Re: Yahoo: Fox Sports prepares channel to take on ESPN

If the meteoric rise of FOX amongst the big four networks and the dominance of FOX News in the cable news race is anything to go by, FOX has some incredibly bright people working behind the scenes, which makes me believe they could pose a legitimate threat to ESPN in the future.

Personally, I never believed NBC's new sports network would amount to anything, because, well... it's NBC, and everything they do is a failure. But FOX? FOX is brilliant. They're the one network I could see succeeding against ESPN, and I hope they do, as ESPN has become incredibly stagnant.

Re: Yahoo: Fox Sports prepares channel to take on ESPN

We are counting on Rupert Murdoch to fix Sports News reporting in this country...

He helped fix the mainstream media by giving the other side of the political spectrum a voice in a world that was, at the time, a left-wing circle-jerk echo chamber. If he can do that for mainstream news, then I have total faith that he can bring good things to the world of sports news.

Re: Yahoo: Fox Sports prepares channel to take on ESPN

Am I the only person who doesn't hate ESPN? I mean they aren't perfect, but some of you guys act like it's just a complete farce at this point. Admittedly, they have lost a lot of talent over the past two years, but they still have a lot of good stuff. Grantland, in particular, is excellent.

Re: Yahoo: Fox Sports prepares channel to take on ESPN

Am I the only person who doesn't hate ESPN? I mean they aren't perfect, but some of you guys act like it's just a complete farce at this point. Admittedly, they have lost a lot of talent over the past two years, but they still have a lot of good stuff. Grantland, in particular, is excellent.

Grantlant is excellent. But the only reason why Grantland exists is because they let Bill Simmons do his thing.. Definitely an anomaly from a network that values people like Skip and his idiot co-anchor.

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Re: Yahoo: Fox Sports prepares channel to take on ESPN

I don't hate ESPN, either, I just find their presentation to be a bit bland. Even if this FOX venture ultimately fails, if the competition leads to ESPN having to improve their product, then it's a win for the fans.

Re: Yahoo: Fox Sports prepares channel to take on ESPN

If the meteoric rise of FOX amongst the big four networks and the dominance of FOX News in the cable news race is anything to go by, FOX has some incredibly bright people working behind the scenes, which makes me believe they could pose a legitimate threat to ESPN in the future.

Personally, I never believed NBC's new sports network would amount to anything, because, well... it's NBC, and everything they do is a failure. But FOX? FOX is brilliant. They're the one network I could see succeeding against ESPN, and I hope they do, as ESPN has become incredibly stagnant.

You mean like their cancellations of pretty much every great TV show they've had in the last 15 years? Arrested Development, Family guy, Firefly, Undeclared, and futurama. Not to mention the ridiculousness that is Fox News.

Re: Yahoo: Fox Sports prepares channel to take on ESPN

You mean like their cancellations of pretty much every great TV show they've had in the last 15 years? Arrested Development, Family guy, Firefly, Undeclared, and futurama. Not to mention the ridiculousness that is Fox News.

Fox closed out a record eighth consecutive broadcast season as the No.1 network among adults 18-49

FOX rose up the ranks from a nobody network 20-something years ago, and is now arguably the most successful network on television. FOX News stepped into a world that had been dominated by CNN for nearly two decades and is now completely dominating all competitors.

You may not like them, and you may believe that only those who agree with your political views deserve a voice. What you cannot do is reasonably deny that both networks have been remarkably successful in becoming major players in the television world.

Re: Yahoo: Fox Sports prepares channel to take on ESPN

Yeah, people let their political views on Fox cloud their judgement quite often. Regardless of how you feel about Fox News, the entire network of Fox stations has done incredibly well. Fox started in 1986 and within a decade was competing with the big boys of NBC, CBS and ABC. They are one of the biggest players in Hollywood movies now. For European soccer fans in the United States, Fox Soccer Network is a godsend.

The Fox Entertainment Group is a very well run company. They have managed to come into various different entertainment channels and compete immediately by doing things differently. I fully imagine that the new sports network will be a success. They have the money to get the big events and competition is almost always a good thing.

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Re: Yahoo: Fox Sports prepares channel to take on ESPN

I've enjoyed NBC Sports Network's broadcasts for college basketball and MLS. I know I will be watching a lot of FOX Sports 1 because of Big East basketball, but also there will be college football, UEFA, and World Cups in the future.

Re: Yahoo: Fox Sports prepares channel to take on ESPN

Exactly, Big Smooth. Personal likes and dislikes are irrelevant. When it comes to television, FOX has proven itself to be a BAMF. If there's anyone out there who can compete with the monopoly that is ESPN, smart money is on FOX, which is why this news is so much more intriguing than the other sports networks that have appeared.

Re: Yahoo: Fox Sports prepares channel to take on ESPN

I must have missed that part. Do you own CNN stock or something? Sounds like a sensitive subject for you. It's called an opinion.

WHAT?!?!

You missed where people started turning this off topic discussing Fox news and CNN. I sure as hell did not. It is graet to have an opinion, but after TPTB closed the Rodman thread yesterday I figured it would be cool if we would stay in topic in this one

And what the hell leads you to believe I own stock in CNN? I don't own stock in any news company.

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Re: Yahoo: Fox Sports prepares channel to take on ESPN

I more than welcome a competitor to ESPN. They spend 95% of their time covering 5% of the teams. The only time I watch ESPN anymore is for MNF, Pacers games (after that Sunday debacle maybe not even that any more), NASCAR, and the occasional collegiate game. About 5 years ago ESPN was my go-to network.

I'm probably one of the few NASCAR fans around these parts, but this channel is consuming all the SPEED channel shows. If they can climb their ranks by covering the less-covered teams/sports, that would make them instantly credible to everyone outside LA/New York/Boston/Chicago. Here's to hoping they don't follow the same path as ESPN. Based on their history, this sounds promising.